Book Description

The fifth edition of Women and Men: Cultural Constructs of Gender presents a synthesis of a wide range of ethnographic and historical data concerning the roles of women, men, and gender nonconforming people in different societies. It focuses on both material conditions and ideological valuations that affect and reflect cultural models of gender. NEW TO THIS EDITION Chapter 3 includes new sections on alternative gendered identities in the Lakota of the Plains and the Navajo of the Southwest and on Yanomamo land rights. Chapter 4 contains new sections on marriage options in the Northwest Coast and on Canadian First Nations contemporary issues concerning territorial rights and the protection of lands from contamination. Chapter 6 is significantly expanded by thorough discussions of the intersectionality of gender, class, and race. Chapter 7 includes a new section on the transmigration of women from poor countries in Asia, Africa, and Central and South America to wealthier countries in the Middle East, Europe, and North America to work as nannies, cooks, and other household help, as well as other resources. Chapter 8 is significantly revised to include changes that have recently taken place to counter dominating and dominant notions of gender and sexuality. This revision contains numerous new sections along with updated economic and social statistical data pertaining to the United States and to global resources. It reframes concepts of gender and of the intersectionality of gender, class, and race as they relate to discussions throughout the book. Ethnographic studies are expanded to include contemporary material on the peoples featured in the chapters.